Dirty are the Blues

Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters

The Luckiest Man

Stony Plain Records

( a note here that this is one of the best covers to be seen as it fits the disc perfectly)

One real treat with The Luckiest Man disc it that Ronnie has Diane Blue on most of the vocals and she has a great feel for the vocals and you can tell she ‘feels’ them as she sings them, there is a sincerity in her voice.  Another treat is that on “‘Long Lost Conversation,” written bv Sugar Ray Norcia, you have Ronnie reuniting with some of the earliest, vintage 1983, of the Broadcasters: Sugar Ray Norcia – vocals, harp; Anthony Geraci- piano; Mike Welch – guitar; Neil Gouvin – drums; Michael “Mudcat” Ward – Fender bass and double bass.  This disc is a tribute to bass player, Jim Mouradian, their beloved bass player who passed away after a show last January.

So you get an idea what the album is like here is a great cover of Gary Davis’ song  “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” with Diane Blue’s vocals and Ronnie’s guitar taking the lead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CTFAsn1CgM

This disc contains four songs written by Ronnie Earl and eight others written by such others as Gary Davis, Don Robey, and Fenton Robinson among others.  The Broadcasters  are comprised of Ronnie Earl – guitar; Dave Limina – piano & Hammond B3; Diane Blue – vocals; Forrest Padgett – drums; and Paul Kochanski – bass.  This is a tight unit that has been together for a good while other than bassist Paul Kochanski who had the job of replacing the dearly departed Jim Mouradian.  They are led both by Ronnie Earl’s stellar guitar playing and Diane Blue’s stellar and extremely heart-felt vocals.  This disc is also produced by Ronnie Earl for Stony Plain Records.  It is a gem by one very hard working man who unfortunately does not get the accolades he truly deserves.

by bob gottlieb